Intel has released the specifications of its Community PC platform developed to meet the computing needs of users in rural India.

Residents in rural India commonly rent time on computers from local merchants to stay in touch with distant relatives or to file and find government forms.

But western PC designs do not function well in India's warm and humid climate, and the units are not designed to be shared by large groups of users.

Intel's Community PC features a special dust filter and backup power source to allow it to operate in the Indian climate and cope with erratic power supplies.

The device also comes with special software that allows a bank to shut off the unit if the owner fails to make payments.

The PCs were developed specifically for the Indian market, but Intel spokeswoman Agnes Kwan told vnunet.com that there is a " high probability" that the devices will be launched in other nations.

"The challenges that the Community PCs are solving are similar to those faced by many other countries," she said.

Intel is working with local computer makers to bring the devices to market. Kwan declined to reveal manufacturer names, pricing or a projected release date.

Paul Otellini, chief executive at Intel, first unveiled the Community PC at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco last August. 

The Community PC is part of an effort by Intel to apply its technology to emerging markets. The company set up four platform definition centres in August last year aiming to create applications for people living in Asia, Africa and South America.

Intel's approach focuses on applying its technology to solve new problems rather than creating low-cost versions of existing technologies.

Nicholas Negroponte, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is currently working to develop a $100 laptop using low cost components.

The device will feature a wind-up power source and use mesh networking to connect to the internet.